Steam generator



Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,564

I R. DE VILLAMIL STEAM GENERATOR Filed April 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 umulllllllillll'umlmlllliill I mullnullimimillllll Inventor. R ichard deVi/llamLl.

AM; ornejW Sept. 28,1926. 1,601,564

R. DE VlLLAMlL STEAM GENERATOR Filed April 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [hi Q1501. Richard da Villamil.

Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

VPATENFFT OFFICE.

RICHARD DE 'vILLA IL, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

STEAM GENERATOR.

Application fi1ed Apri1 24, 1925, Serial No.

- 'This invention relates to steam generators and is based on the well'known principle or phenomenon that if no, sufliciently large, air-bubbles are present in the water to be 5 boiled the temperature" of the sameca-n be raised enormously above the theoretical boiling point, the steam requiring a nucleus to start from. The temperature curve thus becoming very flat, the inflow of heat is retarded and this leads to reduced economical eihciency in the boiler or steam generator. in marine boilers, where the condensed steam is continuously passed back into the rated. This unfavourable condition, also, incidentally produces. or 1 is liable. to produce priming, as well as overheating and ultimate distortionof the boiler, thus leading to the risk of explosion, water in this state easily becoming a highly explosivematerial. The object ofthe present invention is therefore to provide a simple means of making the temperature curve in the boiler .more steep,thusenabling steam to be more rapidly and economically raised At the same time it will also reduce the tendency to priming and explosion to a minimum;

Having regard to such principle, I provide by my invention means for trapping and detaining quantities ofsteam, in the form of bubbles, adjacent to the heating surface of the generator. Such bubbles'being' of sufiicient size and'in adequate number, serve as nuclei to effect more rapid, more steady, and therefore more efficient and economical steam production. 'The character of theboiling is changed from that of a series of very.

.small explosions to a rapidlycontinuous production ofsteam bubbles. 'The"frething of the water is almost entirely ellminated, such froth, carried over with the steam, being as is well known, one ofthe chief sources of .primingii- 7 In carrying out my invention the means of trappingthe steainvmay comprise anumber of small chambers freely 'open to the -water .in' the generator, such fori-nstance as a number of" metal dome-shaped elements,-

appropriately cutaway at their bases. to admit the free passage" of water andsteam, these elements be ng suitably spa ed .a art and connected' n series together so as to Such a condition is found especially boiler as feed water, to be there re-evaposired flexibility'if required.

25,589, and in Great Britain May '2, 1924. I

of beingeasily passed in or out of the boiler through a manhole.

A suitable methodfor inter-connecting the elements is to thread them in sections orseriesmore or less loosely on thin wires or rods,

suitable distance pieces? which may take the form of pieces of tubing being interspaced,

and then. connecting a number of sections by means of cross wires or the like, such connections being such as willpreserve the de 7 The particular shape of the steam-trapping elements is immaterial, they can be cylindrical, square, polygonal or other shape'so long as they are suitably open below to admit the steam and closed'above to'entrap same, but the dome shape previously mentioned is a suitable one from the point of the accompanying'drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a numberof dome shaped elements interconnected in substantially horizontal relation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 showing'two series of said elements. Figs. 3, l and 5am diagrammatic sections ofthree different forms of boilers with the device of Figs. land 2 applied thereto, Fig. 6 is a front elevation showing two series ofdome-shaped'elements interconnected in'vertical relation. Fig.7 is a side elevation of Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic section of a type of boiler for which the device of- Figs. 6' and 7 is eminently suitable.

'To firstly" refer to' drawings these, show a number of domeshaped steam trapping elements or chambers a, cut away below for exampleat four'points as at [b' to permitfree access of water and steam and "shown as interconnected by wires 0 as of copper or other suitable material of the desired degree of flexibility passed through holes in the side walls of the elements and spaced apart interposed Figs. land 2 of the All) lengths of tubing (Z threaded on the interconnecting wires. The upper parts of the elements must be closed or solid without apertures of any kind to ensure the trapping of the steam and proper production and detention of the bubbles.

A sufficient number of said elements so formed and interconnected are used to build up a frame, network or mat of the size required according to the dimensions of-the boil r or for so much of same as it is desired to apply the device to, and in the examples illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 it'will be seen that in Fig. 3 in its application to locomotive boiler e such a frame, network or mat as is placed upon the fiat top of the fire-box f in the water space proper; in the single flue marine boiler 9 shown in Fig. f the said frame or the like is located in the water space at the top of the flue h and by reason of its flexibility will bend to convex shape to conform tothe curvature o'fsaid flue. Obviously in said Fig; I a mat can be suitably suspended below the fine it Again in the water tube boiler c illustrated in Fig. '5, the framework is placed in the base of the steam drum adjacent to the inlets of the water tubes j and also by reason of its flexibility will bend to convex shape to conform to the curvature of said drum. 7

' The form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is somewhat different to those described and coin-' prises series of the dome-shaped elements a in vertical spaced relation, interconnected by wires 0 and spacedby tubular members (Z as before, but said wires 0 andmembers at are located at the sides with two thereof for each element to avoid piercing the upper parts ofthe elements and to maintain the proper relative positions thereof. Such an arrangement when oined up at its ends will.

form a kind of apron or flounce, which is particularly suitable for application to the type of vertical .cross tube boiler 71; illus trated in Fig. 8 where it is shown as surrounding the sides of the fire box Z, the meth- 7 0d of flexibly connecting the elements on mitting it to adapt itself to the contourl thereof. The device at the top of the fire box is of the mat kind above described. In such application the device. would be inserted through the manhole m in disconnected state and be positioned fastened and connected up from within, and if necessary, formed of a number of separate sections attachable and connectible also from within the boiler according to the size of the devices required. 7

In all the applications illustrated it will be apparent that the elements a will entrap and retain quantities of steam in the form of bubbles of such size and number as to s rve as the nuclei from which to start and encourage the steam production on the principle previously stated.

The material of the elements need not necessarily be metallic, indeed, earthenware suggests itself as a possibly suitable and 7 cheap material. Even the flexibility of the mat (which I consider most advisable for practical reasons) is not an essential part of the idea. One can imagine cases where .a certain amount of rigidity might, for structural reasons, be considered as more suitable, special cases requiring special treatment.

What Iclaim as my invention and de-j form of a frame network.

2. In a steam generator havin'gaheating surface, means adjacent said surfacecomprising a plurality ofelements freely open below to the water in the boiler and closed above to form traps for the steam bubbles, said element serving as a nuclei for effecting rapid, steady and efficient steam production, and means for connecting said. elements together in the form of a frame network, which is flexible to conform to the surface of the generator to which it may be applied.

V 3. Ina steam generator surface, means adjacent said surface comprising a. plurality of elements freely open below to the water in the boiler and closed above to form traps for the steam bubbles, said elements serving as a nuclei for effecting rapid, steady and eflicient steam production, and means for connecting said elements together inthe form of a frame network, comprising members extending through said elements and tubular distance pieces thread ed on said members between the elements.

A plurality of hollow elements open at one end for admission of water and closed at the other end to entrap steam bubbles, said elements forming nuclei for effecting rapid, steady and efficient steam production, and means for interconnecting and spacing apart said elements to form a frame-network adapted for insertion in the water space of a steam generator.

5. In combination with .a boiler having a water space and a heatingsurface, a plu rality of bubble traps disposed adjacent the heating surface in position to be immersed in the boiler water 5 said traps being open at their bottoms and closed at their tops,

and means for connecting the traps to. form a net work, for the purpose specified,

having a heating 6. In combination with a. boiler having a Water space and a heating surface, a plurality of dome-shaped bubble traps disposed adjacent the heating surface in position to be immersed in the boiler Water; and means for flexibly connecting sald traps together in the form of a frame network, said means comprising flexible members through said traps and spacing members on said flexible members between the traps. In witness whereof I have signed this specification.

R. DE VILLAMIL.

extending 

